Trigger mechanism for small-arms.



No. 810,177. v 'PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906'.

s. TURUDIJA.

TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR SMALL ARMS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1903.

mum;

UNITED STATES PATENT v OFFICE.

TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR SIVIALL-ARIVIS Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16. 1906.

Application filed June 13,1903- Serial No. 161,331.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STANISLAUS TURUDIJA, a citizen of Austria-Hungary, residing at Triest, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Trigger Mechanism for Small- Arms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The present invention relates to trigger mechanism for small-arms and the like especially adapted for military rifies which have a considerable pull-off; and its purpose is to substantially ease the pull, dispensingwith the employment of a hair-trigger, such as is usually fitted to lighter weapons.

By the aid of this invention the rifleman will have the opportunity immediately before the release of the triggeri. 6., before the striker has sprung forward-to get the obiect aimed at sharply defined and then with a small expenditure of force to fire. Military rifles not fitted with hair-triggers, but having a long and heavy pull-off, have, of course, the advantage that the rifleman can appreciate the effort he is applying; but they have the fault that in consequence of the long and heavy pull-off the rifieman tends to defleet or draw the rifle to one side from a straight line with the object, thus diminishing the accuracy of fire. The skilled calm marksman avoids this by artificially creating a sort of hair-trigger by gradually pulling off; but even he has not the necessaryfine touch to efiect this artificial pull-off with every shot, so that occasionally an undue effort is applied at the end of the pull, causing the rifle to be deflected, though in a lesser degree than with inexperienced riflemen. On the other hand, the shot sometimes goes off prematurely. Finally it should be observed that the long pull-off requires an expenditure of effort, to be steadily increased toward the end, which soon tires the trigger-finger and arm, and thus indirectly afiects accuracy of fire. This disadvantage, inherent in a heavy pull, can be overcome by fitting a hair-trigger; but such a device can only be used for light Weapons and by riflemen with a steady hand and fine touch and not for military purposes, where it must always be borne in mind that the user of the weapon has usually coarse and stiff fingers with indifferent sense of touch, who in view of the ease with which it fires at the slightest touch of the trigger would rarely or never manage to take aim and the majority not even point the weapon.

In my invention the trigger has essentially two bearing-points acting successively against the trigger-plate to give an interval of rest after the disengagement of the sear from the first shoulder of the striker-head and before it is released from the second shoulder, as without such double bearing a strong initial pull on the trigger would be liable to carry the sear beyond the second shoulder, and thus entirely free the striker by a single uninterrupted pull, thus defeating the object which I seek to attain.

The present invention forms an intermediate between the heavy pull-off and the hairtrigger, and by forming an intermediate step it first enables aim to be taken or sharply adjusted immediately before firing, the triggerfinger bein relieved of all strain during this period, ant, further, when the rifleman has the object sharply defined he is enabled to fire with a minimum of effort. There occurs at the same time the further advantage that the marksman has an audible signal directing his attention to thefact that the striker is at the instant of being released. To themstructor there is also a visible signalnamely, the contact of the partially-advanced striker with the intermediate step or shoulder.

The accompanying drawings show various constructional examples of the new trigger mechanism, in Which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the invention applied to one type of rifle known as the Austrian infantry-rifle M88 90 and M90. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a slight difference in the construction. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a further slight difference in construction. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional elevations showing the invention as applied to the Austrian infantry-rifle M95.

The principle of the invention consists in forming a step a on one or both of the contact-surfaces of the trigger mechanism, as a result of which the striker'can slightly advance and be then again held in a position requiring only a slight pull on the trigger to set the striker free to fire.

The provision of the step a on one of the coacting elements (as the striker nut or head, for example) gives an additional bearingpoint for the other coacting element, (as the sear,) thus providing two bearing-points for the trigger, so that there will be an interval of rest after the disengagement of the sear from the first bearing-point and before it is released from the second bearing-point. This step a can either be formed on the striker-nut 1), Figs. 1, 2, and 5, or on the sear d, which 1s actuated by the trigger f, Figs. 3 and 4. If desired, two or more such steps may be provided, Figs. 2, 3, and 5; but one such step immediately before the end'i. 6., pointof the sear d or striker-head b, as the case may be, is adequate. The provision of several such steps will have the advantage that the pull can take place by degrees, and the rifleman is made aware of the position of the trigger mechanism by several audible signals. For instance, the provision of two steps a on one of the coacting elements would give three bearing-points for the trigger, so that there would be a series of intervals of rest after the disengagement of one of the coacting elements from the first bearing-point and before it is released from the final bearing-point. This step or steps a completely replaces the hitherto-employed safety step or shoulder, the purpose of which, as is well known, is to prevent the striker advancing when the bolt is half open.

By choosing a suitable depth of step the length of pull still necessary, and thereby also the pull-off force, can be determined, and this depth may be such that a considerable expenditure of force will still be required to complete the pull-off. On pulling off, the freed striker advancing slightlywill on reaching this step give an audible signal, which will draw the marksmans attention to the fact that a further slight pull on the triggerj will complete the release of the striker. Simultaneously the attention of the rifleman is directed'to aiming the rifle so that the object is sharply covered, and at the suitable moment by lightly pulling the trigger he completes the operation of discharge.

As the whole of the force for pulling is exerted in two or more stages and especially as it is relatively small at the moment of firing, the rifleman does not tire so easily; further, the rifleman having time to justify his aim immediately before firing the certainty of hits is considerably increased, and as the rifle man finds time just before firing to grip and point the riflesecurely the action of the recoil can be consideraby reduced.

It may be pointed out that this device can be applied to all trigger mechanisms, the step or steps being applied to that part of the mechanism the surface of which appears most suitable therefor, or even both surfaces could be provided with corresponding steps. Existing trigger mechanisms can be easily fitted with the contrivance just described.

This device is not only intended for firearms having a heavy pull-off, but also with great advantage as a substitute for the hairtrigger, the disadvantage of the hair-trigger of having too easy. a pull-off being eliminated.

The present construction differs substantially from existing hair-trigger mechanisms in that with one and the same trigger and the same pull-off mechanism at the trigger the hair-trigger device formed by the step comes automatically into action with manipulation by the rifleman, so that this arrangement forms to a certain extent a mechanical graduation of the pull-off, While the hair-trigger as now fitted requires a special manipulation with a part of the construction independent of trigger. v 7

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature .of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a trigger mechanism of the character described, theicombination with the trigger, of two coacting elements operated from the trigger comprising a striker having a head, and a sear, two bearing-points formed on one of the coacting surfaces of the said two coacting elements, said bearing-points operating to give an interval of rest after the disengagement of one of the coacting elements from the first bearing-point on the other element and before it is released from the second bearing-point.

2. In a trigger mechanism of the character described the combination with the trigger of two coacting element-s operable from the trigger comprising a striker having a head and a sear, and a series of bearing-points formed on one of the coacting elements, said bearing-points operating to give a series of intervals of rest after the disengagement of one of the coacting elements from the first bearing-point on the other element and before it is released from the final bearing-point for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a trigger f, of a sear I], operated by the trigger, a striker having a head I), and two bearing-points formed on the head operating to give an interval of rest after the disengagement of the sear from the first bearingpoint of the striker-head and before it is released from the second bearingpoint. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STANISLAUS TURUDIJA.

Witnesses:

WILHELM ZERGE'R, ALvEsTo S. HoGUE. 

